A STOCKPORT dad-of-two is urging people not to ignore signs of cancer after his own early diagnosis and successful treatment for bladder cancer last year.
Stuart Ingram, 51, says a simple decision to visit his GP after noticing blood in his urine saved his life.
He said: “I noticed blood in my pee – it was the colour of rosé wine. It happened twice, and I knew something wasn’t right.”
After ruling out a urinary tract infection, Stuart’s GP quickly referred him to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport for further tests. An ultrasound revealed a lesion on his bladder, and a follow-up cystoscopy – a procedure involving a small camera – showed the presence of a 4cm tumour.
Stuart, an NHS research manager underwent surgery last autumn to remove the tumour along with part of the surrounding bladder lining. Thankfully, the cancer was caught at Stage 1 – the earliest possible stage – and Stuart is now doing well and is cancer-free. He’s now undergoing an 18-month course of immunotherapy to help prevent the cancer from returning.
Stuart said: “I’m back at work and I fit the immunotherapy treatment around my job. It varies for everyone, but I don’t find it painful – just a bit tiring afterwards. The team at Stepping Hill has been amazing throughout. There’s always someone to explain what’s happening and answer any questions.”
Stuart is now speaking out to encourage others to seek help early if they notice unusual symptoms – particularly blood in their urine.
“If I hadn’t gone to the doctor, it could have been a very different story,” he said. “If you get any blood in your wee you should definitely see your doctor straight away. Your GP will take it seriously, and you should too. Don’t put it off, and don’t think they’re too busy to see you.”
With thousands of new bladder cancer cases diagnosed every year in the UK, health professionals at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance echo Stuart’s message: early detection saves lives.
The main symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your pee. This can appear as pink, red, or brown urine and may come and go.
Sotonye Tolofari, Clinical Lead for Urological Cancers at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said: “If you see blood in your pee, even just once, your GP wants to see you.
“While many people know to be vigilant for cancer symptoms such as lumps, persistent coughs, fatigue and unexplained weight loss, not everyone realises that blood in your pee can be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.
“Both of these cancers can affect men or women. There are many other, less serious conditions that can cause blood in pee, and chances are it’s nothing serious. However, if it is cancer, and we spot it early, they’re more treatable and often curable.”
